Silicon (Si) photonic devices may refer to photonic devices that use silicon as an optical medium in a chip. Silicon photonic devices may operate in the infrared wavelength region typically used by fiber optic telecommunication systems. Silicon may lie on top of a layer of silicon dioxide (SiO2), or silica, and function as a silicon-on-insulator (SOI). Silicon photonic devices may be made using existing semiconductor fabrication techniques.
Because silicon is typically used as the substrate for integrated circuits, hybrid devices may comprise both optical and electronic components integrated onto a single chip. Such hybrid devices may provide for electrical data operations, but also provide for optical interconnects that may allow for faster data transfer between and within chips. As a result, there is an increased interest in silicon photonics.